BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A couple of quick takes on Gary Palmer's win tonight over Paul DeMarco in the GOP runoff for the Sixth district seat in Congress.

First: This was a butt kicking by a guy who held no public office over a guy who has been in the Legislature for eight years, who had more money and name recognition and who had a healthy lead coming out of the June 3 primary.

All that means this: Palmer had help in winning this race and the help came from DeMarco. Some boxer once said you don't know nothing until somebody gets hit in the nose. Well, DeMarco got hit in the nose and the guy who punched him was DeMarco. He stumbled badly in the first debate against Palmer and his reaction to it was to run an attack ad implying Palmer had supported an old tax increase effort years ago. It was not true. The ad was just a lie.

Two: DeMarco could have still won this thing by just simply coming out and acknowledging that he had made a mistake. I could have written the apology. It might have gone like this:

"Hello. I'm Paul DeMarco and I approved an ad about Gary Palmer that was not true. I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I'll probably make others if you elect me your congressman. When I do I will step up and take responsibility and I will try to do better. I'm Paul DeMarco and I approved this apology from the bottom of my heart."

But that's not what he did. Instead he dug the hole deeper. He doubled down on the ad. It didn't work.

Three: DeMarco enjoyed the strong support of many fellow legislators, a number of county commissioners and mayors and the political establishment in much of the sixth district. Those people bet on the wrong horse. They now have some major butt kissing to do. Pucker up!

Four: Gary Palmer will be the overwhelming favorite to win in the November general election. There is a Democrat running but the sixth is among the most GOP leaning districts in the nation. Palmer can't take victory for granted but he can tonight begin acting like a congressman.

Five: Paul DeMarco can still have a future in politics. He's a smart guy and a decent man. He got hit in the nose. The hard thing to live with is that he is the one who delivered the punch.